The mob on the rampage in Nawada on Friday. Telegraph picture

Patna, Oct. 1: The mob attack on the police and administrative officials in Nawada on Friday was a fallout of simmering public anger against the men in uniform for failing to contain crime in the district.

A sub-divisional officer was seriously injured, while the district magistrate and the superintendent of police had to make a hasty retreat to escape the mob fury.

Deputy inspector-general (anti-dacoity in the CID) of police Kamal Kishore Singh, whom the DGP sent to take stock of the situation last evening, received complaints about the police’s callous attitude in solving cases and taking action against perpetrators of crime. They also accused police officials of conniving with the criminals.

The DIG spoke to the businessmen, political party leaders, senior citizens and police officials. He also met the administrative officials and inquired about the incident at the collectorate in the presence of district magistrate Safina A.N. and sub-divisional officer S.Z. Hasan.

The DIG would submit his report to DGP Abhayanand on Sunday. “I spoke to different sections of people, listened to their grievances and also gathered information about the police action in previous incidents of crime reported from different police stations in the district,” Singh told The Telegraph over the phone.

The DIG claimed that the situation was quite normal in the town. The shops and business establishments opened today. “The residents and the politicians have assured that they would not do anything to create law and order problem,” he said, adding that police have launched an intensive raid to apprehend the assailants at the earliest. The police have ruled out the possibility of loot being the motive of the criminals behind the attack on the jewellers. “Our investigation is centred around property dispute or personal enmity,” said an investigating officer before adding that the deceased had purchased a disputed property recently. Reports said the deceased suffered a loss in his business. Two separate FIRs have been lodged with Town police station in connection with Friday’s incident.

While one case is related to the attack on the two brothers, which left one of them dead, another is about the attack on the collectorate, damage of public property and causing hindrance in discharge of official duty.

The police have picked up over 12 persons for interrogation. “We have sought the video footage of the incident related to stone pelting and arson to ascertain the identity of the persons involved,” said a deputy superintendent of police, on the condition of anonymity.

Meanwhile, the district magistrate has also submitted a separate report on the incident to the Magadh division commissioner. Sources said the district magistrate squarely blamed the police for the attack at the collectorate. The incident could have been averted had the police arrived on time,” a senior administrative officer said.

Attempts to contact the district magistrate proved futile. Even superintendent of police Pankaj Kumar Raj was also not available for comment.